Sweetest Sins v2
by Katsumi Amaya
Summary: Harry sighed. "Oh just wait until we get back to Hogwarts. Nobody will be able to believe this." He muttered. "Well, tough. I love you, and you love me, and if they can't deal with that then screw them." Draco said.
1. On the Grounds

"Ahh..." Harry sighed contently as he leaned back against one of the many tress that surrounded the Great Lake. He and Hermione as already changed into muggle clothes, seeing as this was their last day at Hogwarts, but Ron remained in his robes.

Hermione pulled a very thick and dusty book out of nowhere and began to read, her head bent low. Ron and Harry started to chat animatedly about how they planned to spend their summers ("I'm coming over, aren't I?" Harry asked. "Of course! Mum can't wait to see you!" Ron replied. Harry smiled with relief.) when Ginny joined them and joined in the conversation.

Suddenly, Harry remembered something. "Check it out, guys!" He said excitedly, reaching into his jeans pocket and pulling out a small golden ball. As it lay in his palm, it unfurled small wings and tried to fly away, but Harry kept catching it at the last minute. Ginny gasped every time he caught it, and cheered. Ron just eyed some girls from across the lake, trying to look cool.

Sound familiar?

Anyway, it wasn't long before Harry's amazing Seeker skills caught the attention of the wrong people.

"I don't believe you're allowed to have that Snitch, Potter." A voice drawled. Harry looked up and saw Draco Malfoy approaching, Crabbe and Goyle behind him. Malfoy stuck his hand out, almost lazily, and said softly, "Hand it over."

The black-haired boy stared at the blond with pure loathing and hatred in his eyes. "Or what?" He asked quietly. Malfoy's eyes narrowed. Before anyone could say a word, Hermione snapped her book shut and everyone jumped.

"Leave, Malfoy." He said angrily, glaring at him. Malfoy sneered, and his cronies laughed.

The blond sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb, as though he were trying to control his anger "Now many times to I have to _tell_ you, Mudblood." He sighed. "_Don't talk._"

Harry leapt to his feet and pulled his want out of his back pocket, pointing it at Malfoy. The other boy had also drawn his wand.

The others instantly reacted. Ron jumped to his feet and held Harry back, while Ginny stood between the two boys.

"Don't jinx him, Harry!" Hermione cried, book laying forgotten on the grass.

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and Ron let go. For a moment there was silence, and Draco lowered his wand, smirking, thinking he had won. Ginny, with a quick and stern glance at both boys, walked over to join Hermione. Then before anyone could blink, Malfoy was laying on the ground clutching his jaw, and Harry stood over him, hand curled into a fist.

"No!" One of the girls cried, but Malfoy was already up and had tackled Harry. They were rolling on the grass, shouting punching and kicking for all they were worth.

Snape materialized out of nowhere and wrenched the two boys apart. "Draco...nice muggle fighting skills. Potter, 50 point from Gryffindor."

"It's the last day of school!" Harry protested, struggling to free himself from the oily-haired man's grip. Snape only held on tighter. He half drug the two boys to the Headmaster's office, leaving Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Crabbe, and Goyle to stare.

---

Harry and Malfoy sat on opposite sides of Dumbledore's office, waiting for the headmaster to arrive. The silence was tense and pressed down on both of them like a blanket.

Then finally, the headmaster came down the winding stairs with a flourish, humming to himself*. "In trouble again?" He asked, looking at the two boys over the rim of his half-moon glasses.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I was only trying defend myself, and Malfoy…"

Draco growled. "Come off it, Potter. You know full well you threw the first punch!" He cried.

Harry opened his mouth to shout at the blond boy, but Dumbledore raised his hand for silence. The two boys instantly closed their mouths.

"I care not who started it, only why." The headmaster said, intertwining his fingers as his elbows rested on the table. "This petty rivalry between you two needs to stop."

Harry looked crushed. "You're not going to give us detention the last day here, are you?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Do not worry, Harry. Neither of you will receive detention."

The two boys visibly relaxed.

"However," He continued, rising from his chair and coming out from behind his desk. "You two need to need to know more about each other if you are ever to understand each other." The room was silent as Dumbledore decided their fate.

He finally spoke. "You two will be spending the summer at each other's homes."

--End of Chapter One--

_*It was said in an interview by J.K. Rowling that Dumbledore is indeed gay. And I couldn't resist. Review or die._


	2. On the Train

"Please, just a few minutes." Harry begged Ron and Hermione. "Don't leave me alone with him and Crabbe and Goyle!" But the two shook their heads, sympathetic looks on their faces.

"Sorry, mate. It'll take about an hour to get everything in order." Ron said, shrugging in a 'what can you do?' kind of gesture.

Hermione jumped in when she saw Harry's dejected look. "But we'll be in as soon as we can, okay?" She promised, and Harry looked a bit more cheerful. As they parted, Hermione called over her shoulder, "At least _try _not to kill each other!"

Harry grinned. 'No promises.', he thought.

--Harry Potter--

The two boy's carriage was the last one on the train. When Harry finally reached it and slid the door open, he was surprised to see Draco sitting alone, glaring out the window, arms crossed. He didn't look up when Harry entered and sat down, but his glare seemed to intensify.

Harry looked around, not really knowing what to say. He was about to open his mouth to ask where Crabbe and Goyle were (he didn't really care, he just couldn't stand the silence) when Malfoy said, "Dumbledore said it has to be you and me only. So I don't get my friends, and you don't get yours." He finally took his eyes away from the window to sneer at Harry. "At least I don't have to look at that Mudblood and that traitor." He scoffed.

The air grew tense. Harry narrowed his eyes at the blond, but didn't say anything. He knew Malfoy was just egging him, and that a fight was what he wanted. If Harry even thought of throwing a punch, Lucius would probably get him expelled. Harry could just see Malfoy testifying against him at a hearing. 'I just wanted our rivalry to stop!' he would say. 'So I apologized and asked him for a truce, but he just attacked me!' The black haired boy smiled grimly. No doubt Malfoy would even fake tears if it meant getting him out of Hogwarts.

So, with a sigh, Harry laid back on the empty seat and closed his eyes.

--Harry Potter--

It took a while for Harry to explain to Ron and Hermione why they couldn't come in to their carriage. "It's what Dumbledore wants." He said, and that closed the argument. Disappointed, the two friends turned away and returned to the Prefect carriage.

With a slight headache, Harry returned to his seat. It had been close to an hour and a half since Harry had found Malfoy and sat down, and he was even more tired than he had been before his nap. He just hoped that the Trolley could be coming by soon. He could use a chocolate frog, and maybe a few licorice wands.

Right then, Harry could hear the Trolley approaching. He eagerly dug into his pocket for a few gallons. Draco didn't move.

Harry thanked the woman that pushed the Trolley and sat down with his arms full of sweets. He quickly tore open a chocolate frog and slipped it into his mouth. He sighed contently and closed his eyes at the taste of the chocolate. He opened his eyes as he swallowed the last of the chocolate and glanced at the card in the pack. He had gotten Rowena Ravenclaw. He admired the 3-D image of her profile before it walked out of the frame and disappeared.

The black-haired boy heard the sound of something tearing and looked up. His eyes widened when he saw one of the chocolate frogs he had bought being ripped open by Malfoy. "Hey!" He cried angrily, reaching over and snatching it back. Malfoy's head jerked up and he glared at Harry. "Don't steal my stuff." Harry said angrily, dropping the chocolate by the two licorice wands.

"Why not?" the blond retorted. He leaned back against the black leather seat and crossed his arms. He looked amused.

Harry just stared at him. "Because stealing is _wrong._ If I was trying to steal your candy, you wouldn't like it, would you?"

Malfoy groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't start with that empathy crap!" The blond sneered. "You would never steal any candy, because you'd rather starve to death like the goody-two-shoes you are." And before Harry could stop him, Malfoy reached over and grabbed the chocolate frog. He quickly slipped it into his mouth and smiled.

Harry glared at Malfoy with death in his eyes. "You're paying me back for that, Malfoy." He growled. The blond sneered.

"With what?" He looked innocent and spread his arms. "I have no money." He pouted, but there was laughter in his eyes. "Just like baby Potter...I have to live off of other people's money." He dropped the act and sneered. "Muggle money, I'm guessing."

It was Harry's turn to smile. "Muggle money my ass." He leaned back in the seat. "Mum and Dad left me...gosh, how big a pile of gold? Last time I checked it was..." He put on a thoughtful look. "About the equivalent of 30,000 Pounds*?"

Malfoy's look blanked. "That means nothing to me." He said. "I don't use filthy muggle money." His looked turned cruel. "But I'm sure the muggles you live with worship the ground you walk on, huh, Potter? All you have to do is wave you wand and they love you." His eyes had turned hard, and it was clear he was on his defensive.

Harry actually started laughing. It was a dark, humorless laugh, containing none of te lightness and careless it usually held at all. Malfoy had never seen Harry's eyes such a dark shade of green. Finally the laughter ceased, and the carriage was silent. Finally Harry spoke in a quiet, sad voice. "You are going to be so surprised, Malfoy. Just because everyone thinks I'm a hero in the Wizarding World, does not mean I'm respected in my..." Harry didn't know what to call it. It was not his house, it was not his home. Not in any way. "The Dursley's house."

"_Thinks _you're a hero." Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Everyone who isn't a Death Eater would kill their best friends to kiss your feet." His eyes were still their cold, hard, grey-blue. "Anyone would do _anything_ to be in your shoes for five minutes, how could you find _any _sadness in your life?"

The hate rolling off of the blond boy in front of him made Harry wince. "And how can you even talk about muggles like you respect them? If your treated so bad by your muggle family, why do you talk about muggles like you _like _them?" Malfoy continued.

Harry leaned forward. "Because just because I was raised by the family from hell doesn't mean all muggles are like that." He said angrily. "I mean...I don't know many muggles, except for Hermione's parents, but..-"

"Oh and what wonderful muggle parents they must be. It must be every parent's dream for their one and only child to be a filthy muggle-born Mudblood Witch!" He spat, disgust etched on his face.

Harry's temper flared. "Merlin, Malfoy! How full of yourself can you be? I know I'd much rather be a muggle-born than some inbred little fink!" He yelled. "And would you stop insulting my friends? You act like you're so superior to them...and to me!" He stood and glared at the blond.

Malfoy scoffed, "Oh, just sit down, Potter! If this is going to get Dumbledore off our case, we need to avoid getting violent."

Harry, still glaring at the blond in front of him, slowly sat back down. There was quiet for a few more minutes, before Harry finally relaxed again and laid down, closing his eyes for a second time to doze.

--Harry Potter--

About an hour later, the train began to slow. Malfoy (quite literally) kicked Harry awake, and told him to get his lazy ass up. Harry, still half asleep, propped himself up on his elbows and it took him a minute to realize that the train was boarding at platform 9 ¾.

The two boys gathered their things and hurried into the hallway where everyone else stood waiting. After a minute, Harry saw Ron and Hermione fighting their way through the crowd.

Hermione gave him a tight hug, and Ron clapped him on the back. People rushed around them as the door opened, but Malfoy hung back. Harry was oblivious as he grinned at his two best friends.

"You will write, won't you?" Hermione pleaded, glancing quickly at Malfoy. Harry understood. 'She wants to make sure Malfoy doesn't try anything.' The black-haired boy smiled. "Of course, Hermione. I will."

Ron stood there awkwardly. "I'm sorry you won't be able to come by the Burrow, mate." He shrugged. "Maybe next summer, eh?" Harry nodded, his heart sinking.

The train had nearly cleared out of everyone, except for a few last minute first-years still gathering all their things together. The three got off the train together, Malfoy walking a good four feet behind them.

"Harry!" Fred and George said simultaneously when they saw him. They threw looks of disgust at Malfoy before greeting Ron and Hermione. Harry watched enviously as her and Mrs. Weasly arranged a date for her to some over.

So after a few more hugs and promises to write, Harry exited the platform into Kings Cross, and back into the muggle world, Draco Malfoy in tow.

---

A/N: *30,000 Pounds is a little under 50,000 Dollars.

I realized that I had completely left out a good chuck of time in which Harry and Draco could have been pissing each other off. So I added this. Hope you like it...review?


	3. We're Even

Oh my Lord please forgive me! It's been nine frigging months! But it's finally here so no more waiting yay!

--Harry Potter--

The car ride was silent. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley were sitting in the front. Thankfully, they hadn't brought Dudley along, because if they had then there wouldn't have been enough room. Harry and Malfoy sat on opposite sides of the car in the backseat, glaring out at the passing scenery.

The confrontation between Harry's relatives and Malfoy had been one with looks of disgust from the Dursleys and Malfoy. They both thought the other was absolute scum. Thankfully they had made it into the car without violence, which in Harry's view was quite a good thing. After they had passed the bustling view of the city and entered the suburbs, the tension had lessened just a bit, but still no one was talking.

Harry wondered how much effort it took Malfoy to keep his mouth shut. The Malfoy Harry knew would have thrown a thousand insults by now, but this one just looked out his window at the passing scenery, his look of hatred gone but one of anger still present. Harry sighed and let his head rest on the window. He closed his eyes and relaxed. Malfoy wouldn't dare try anything in the presence of Muggles.

About an hour later (though to Harry it felt like only a few minutes) the Dursley's car pulled up into the driveway and came to a halt. "Potter. Wake up, we're here." Malfoy whispered. Harry opened his eyes with a start and quickly got out, straightening his glasses. They all went inside without a word.

"Right." Mr. Dursley said as he took off his coat. "Okay then, these are the rules you will follow as long as you reside under my roof." He turned to face them, and his face had taken on that oh-so familiar purple-red hue. "Rule number one: there will be no... you-know-what in this house, no anywhere in this neighborhood. I don't want the neighbors asking questions."

Malfoy couldn't hold back any longer. "No, I don't know what! If you want to talk in terms I'll understand, then I'd greatly appreciate it, but until then I'd prefer if you didn't speak to me at all." A look of absolute disgust was on Malfoy's face.

There was a loud _smack _as Petunia slapped Malfoy across the face. His eyes went wide and he blinked several times. Slowly, he raised his hand and placed it on his already-red cheek. "Don't you dare talk to my husband that way." Petunia whispered fiercely.

Harry watched the scene go on without much care; If Malfoy and the Dursley's killed each other, then bully for him. the less stress in his life, the better.

Malfoy lowered his shaking hand and Harry could tell that it was taking every ounce of self control Malfoy had not to whip out his wand and curse his aunt and uncle into oblivion. Harry almost smiled. What an interesting summer this would be.

"Rule number two:," Vernon continued. "You will not speak to myself, my wife, or my son besides 'yes sir' or 'yes ma'am'."

Malfoy looked murderous, but he nodded.

"And finally, rule number three: You are not to speak to any of the neighbors. If they ask you anything, you are to say that you go to St. Brutus's with Potter."

Malfoy, again, nodded.

"Right, upstairs, both of you. You won't be leaving your room until Petunia calls for dinner." And he pushed them upstairs.

Harry led the way to his room, Malfoy silently in tow. When Harry had shut the door, Malfoy snarled, "I told you all Muggles were vile! They way they treat me like scum, my father will..."

"Yeah, yeah, your father will do this and that and make sure you never have to deal with confrontation. God forbid." Harry said sarcastically as he collapsed on his bed.

Malfoy rounded on him. "I cannot believe that idiot Dumbledore stuck me here with you all summer!" He snarled. "Stuck for half a summer with Potter and a house of filthy Muggles! I could be at home, being served some wine by a house elf, but no!" He sat down heavily into Harry's desk chair. "I bloody hate that man."

Harry glared. "Oh, like you have it so bad? I'm stuck here with you! The most vile little worm to ever land on this earth! I could be at the Burrow with Ron and Hermione, spending my summer somewhere nice, but guess what, Malfoy? We're both stuck here until the end of June! At least you get to go back home, I don't get to see my friends all summer!" Harry yelled.

"Quiet up there!" Vernon roared, and Harry instantly fell silent.

Malfoy was shaking he was so angry. He closed his eyes, his lips pulled back in a snarl. "I swear I'm going to curse all of you in your sleep." He said through gritted teeth. "Two months stuck here. I'm going to kill someone or worse."

Harry ran his hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes. A quick glance at the clock on his bedside table told him it was getting late. Right on cue, he yawned.

"So where am I sleeping? Do this place have a guest room or something?" Malfoy asked, looking around the room as though expecting an extra bed to pop out of nowhere.

Harry laughed humorlessly. "Malfoy, this _is _the guest room. Just be grateful I don't still sleep under the stairs. Otherwise you really wouldn't have anywhere to sleep."

Malfoy's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding. Where the bloody hell am I supposed to sleep?" He yelled.

Harry looked at the door, panicked. "Do you want my uncle to come up here and strangle you?"

To Harry's surprise, Malfoy actually sighed and whispered, "Fine."

The black-haired boy rolled his shoulders and popped his neck both ways. "Look, Malfoy, I don't like you, and you don't like me, I get that. But we're stuck with each other for the whole summer so we might as well make it as painless as possible. The only reason you hate me is because you're a Death Eater and I'm the Boy Wonder but let's not kill each other, okay?"

Malfoy was again furious. "Don't you dare call me that, Potter! I don't care what Dumbledore says, I'll crucio you!"

Harry's eyebrows scrunched together in a look of confusion. "A... a Death Eater?" He asked.

"Yes, Potter! I'm not a bloody Death Eater! Don't confuse me with my dad!" He said, his voice almost raising to danger levels.

"Shut up!" Harry's eyes were glued to the door, but when no yell came he visibly relaxed. He turned his gaze to Malfoy. "So you're not a Death Eater?" He asked in disbelief.

Malfoy opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it and slouched in his chair. "I'm not... by choice... I mean I never wanted..." He seemed to realize exactly who he was talking to, and about what, for his eyes narrowed and he huffed. "Not that's it's any of your business, _Potter._" He said Harry's last name like one would a disgusting swear word.

Harry rolled his eyes and once again laid down on his bed. After a moment's silence he changed the subject and said, "I... guess you could sleep on the floor, or something."

Malfoy snorted. "While you get the bed? I don't think so. You're sleeping on the floor, I'm taking the bed."

Harry groaned. "Fine Malfoy, whatever." And rolled over so that his back was facing the blond-haired boy. He watched through the window as the sun set in the sky. After a few minutes, he got back up and muttered, "I'm gonna to take a shower." And slipped out.

Malfoy watched Harry go with a look of contempt. As soon as the other boy had left, Malfoy took the opportunity to inspect the foreign room. It was just like any other normal wizard boy's room, with a desk, some quills and ink lying about, his trunk with spell books, and...

"Harry left his wand behind." Malfoy said gleefully. He quickly stood and picked it up off the wrinkled bedspread where it must have slipped out of Harry's pocket. Malfoy looked closer. He could see that it was made of Holly, maybe 10 or 11 inches. Malfoy pulled out his own wand, Hawthorn, 10 inches. His face turned sour when he saw that Harry's wand was indeed 11 inches, longer than his.

With a bored sigh, Malfoy dropped it back onto the bed and returned to his chair. He could, of course, jinx the wand to do random things when Potter tried to cast a spell, but, unfortunately, Potter was right. They were going to be stuck with each other for four whole months, they might as well make is as painless as they could.

"Dinner!" Mrs. Dursley's voice sounded from downstairs. Malfoy flicked his hair from his face with a jerk of his neck. He wasn't that hungry, and he honestly didn't feel like dealing with those Muggles right now. However, he needed his trunk to change into his pajamas, and it was still in the boot of the car. _Cars_. What a stupid way to travel.

Malfoy, as quietly as he could, crept downstairs and out the front door. He approached the car and looked around before his pulled out his wand and tapped the boot of the car. "Alohamora." he whispered. The hatch popped open, and Malfoy quickly grabbed his trunk and heaved it out. Another glance confirmed that no one was watching. He set his trunk on the driveway and pulled Potter's out. Then he pushed the hatch shut and drug both trunks to the front door.

Unfortunately for Malfoy, it's rather difficult to drag two trunk at one, especially up a flight of stairs. While halfway up, your hand might just slip and send one of the trunks (it has to be his of course, not Potter's) crashing down the stairs and into the wall below.

And of course, it had to pop open, spilling all your books, parchment, quills and ink.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Vernon roared, tearing from the kitchen and into the front hall. Malfoy quickly drug Potters chest to the top of the stairs and ran into Harry's room, and also a befuddled Harry.

"Malfoy, what did you..." Harry stared to ask angrily, but was cut off with a roar of, "POTTER!"

Harry gritted his teeth and, with a final yank of the cords on his sweatpants, headed downstairs.

The yelling that ensued was something that Malfoy tried desperately to block out, but Vernon's voice was just too loud. "Well, better Potter than me." Malfoy thought. But on some level he actually felt a twinge of guilt. After all, it had been his fault, but Potter was the one getting yelled at.

"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again, sir. My hand just slipped, sir." And Harry, ever the hero, also had to take the blame, Malfoy thought bitterly. Less than a day with the Chosen One and he was already indebted to him.

Harry returned about a half hour later, Malfoy's trunk it tow. "You're lucky. Only one bottle of ink broke, and none it got on your stuff. However, it did get all over the floor, which I had to clean up. That stains permanent, you know."

Malfoy glared at the floor. He muttered something under his breath, which Harry didn't catch. "Come again?" He asked.

"I said thanks, you twit!" Malfoy yelled. The carpet would have caught fire if Malfoy's glare at it would have been any more intense.

Harry was taken aback. "Um... you're welcome, I guess." He cleared this throat and quickly changed the subject. "It's late. I don't know about you but I'm not that hungry. Are you going to take a shower or what?"

Malfoy once again flicked his hair out of his eyes with a jerk of his neck. "I showered this morning." he muttered.

Harry shrugged. "I'm gonna go get some blankets so I have something to lay on. Be right back." And Harry slipped out again.

The blond-haired boy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut. Malfoys were not supposed to feel guilt. It only held you back and impaired your judgment. Like now, for example.

When Harry returned with the only spare blanket he could find, he saw Malfoy already dressed in his pajamas and in his bed, but he was all the way over on one side.

"Malfoy, what..." Harry asked.

"Just... shut up Potter. Get in." Malfoy said, his eyes closed and voiced muffled by the pillow.

Harry, with hesitation, set the blanket down in the chair and crossed over to the other side of the room. He lifted the comforter and crawled under. "We're even." Malfoy muttered.

"Yeah." Harry said quietly. After a few minutes, he relaxed. He made sure his wand was by the clock, and closed his eyes to drift into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Making Breakfast

When Draco Malfoy opened his eyes, the birds were chirping, the house was quiet, and he felt calm and well-rested.

That lasted about two seconds.

Malfoy shot up in bed, which he instantly knew wasn't his. One look around and he relaxed with grumble. He looked down at Potter, who lay beside him, still fast asleep. "I could curse you right now Potter, and you wouldn't even know it." He whispered, poking the boy in the arm. Harry just muttered something in his sleep and rolled over.

Malfoy yawned and put his feet on the freezing cold floor. "Who puts wood floors in a bedroom, really?" He muttered to himself as he made his way across Potter's room towards the door. Before stepping into the hallway, he peeked out to make sure no one else was up. There wasn't. He grabbed his soap and shampoo.

It only took a second to find the bathroom, tiny as it was. "How does anyone live in a house like this?" He asked the air angrily. Really, the counter, toilet, and shower were all bunched together, leaving barely any room to move around! This couldn't be sanitary.

Nevertheless, Malfoy stripped and took a quick shower. Thank God he had brought his own soap. The thought of sharing a bar of soap with Potter made him want to gag.

After a few minutes of standing under the hot stream of water to try and wash his worries away, he turned the water off and stepped out.

Potter was up when Malfoy came back, sitting up in the bed blearily. "Oh... I was wondering where you were." he said when he saw Malfoy.

Malfoy pulled some clothes out of his trunk. "Miss me that much?" He teased, smirking.

Harry made a sound in his throat that told Malfoy the answer was negative. "You're not going to get a rise out of me." He said defiantly, literally turning the other cheek so he wouldn't have to look at the blond boy.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. Mr. Wonderful, always taking the high road, never fighting when he could avoid it. It made Malfoy nauseous. Then a sudden thought struck Malfoy. What would it take to 'get a rise' out of Potter, as he himself had put it? What would it take to make Potter snap back, to make him want to fight, to see his cheeks turn red with anger?

Oh, this would be fun.

Potter went downstairs to make breaking for his horrible family, but Malfoy hung back. _'Too easy.'_ he thought. He started with Harry's wardrobe, making sure to go through everything, mess everything up, and go through as much as he could. Then the desk, under the bed (turns out there was a loose floorboard under there, very useful for hiding things) and his bedside table.

Go through his personal belongings, check.

Malfoy make his way down to breakfast, the smell of bacon very enticing. When he entered the kitchen, all eyes turned to him. He had the strong urge to act like he was a celebrity, but he just snorted and made his way over to Harry.

He got close and looked over his shoulder. "What'cha making?" He asked. Harry jumped in surprise tried to turn, only to be trapped between Malfoy and the stove.

"I, uh, I'm making eggs." He faltered just a second, before gaining his poise. "How do you like yours?"

Invading his personal space, check.

Malfoy shrugged. "Sunny side up." He muttered, before wandering over to the table. There were only four chairs. He went back over to Harry. "Where am I supposed to eat?" He asked indignantly.

Harry glanced over at the table. "We'll eat in the kitchen, then go back upstairs." He said. We? Since when did Potter bother to keep him company? Well, whatever. It was probably just the Golden Boy attitude coming back. Can't let the newcomer feel sad and alone, right? Malfoy sighed bitterly. He hated it here.

Harry served his family their eggs and toast and the rest of their breakfast before making his way back to the kitchen. "Here." He said, placing a plate of eggs, sunny side up like he requested, on the counter in front of Malfoy.

The blond flipped his hair back with that oh-so familiar head toss and began to eat. In just a minute, the food was gone. Then came toast, then bacon. Malfoy ate it all.

Then he noticed something odd. "Aren't you going to eat?" he asked after swallowing his last bite of food.

Harry smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I ate before everyone came downstairs." There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, but Malfoy accepted his answer and shrugged.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Malfoy asked.

Harry tsked then sighed. "Try to survive?" he said, more of a question than a real answer.

"Mom!" The massively-sized boy that sat at the table whined. "My eggs are overcooked!"

Petunia tsked. "Don't worry, Diddy-kins, Potter will make you a new plate." He promised. Then she gave Harry a pointed look, and he hurriedly whisked away the boy's plate and turned the stove on to make him a new egg. Or, more like four eggs.

"Who's the fat kid?" Malfoy asked. He had never seen a child that age so massively obese. It was quite gross to look at him.

Harry grabbed his spatula and started to scramble the eggs. "That's my cousin, Dudley. He will seriously beat the ever-loving shit out of you, so don't piss him off. I've been his punching bag since we were like, four." One last twist of the spatula, and Harry expertly flicked his wrist up, causing the eggs to fly though the air. They landed perfectly on the plate in his other hand.

Malfoy gave him a skeptic look. "Was that really necessary?" He asked.

Harry just grinned.

Dudley gobbled down his new plate of eggs, then moved to the living room to watch TV for the rest of the morning.

After Petunia and Vernon had finished their breakfast, Harry compiled all the dishes and dumped in the sink. Soon the sink was filled was soapy water and Harry started to do the dishes.

"So, this is your typical morning? You're practically their slave." Malfoy said with disbelief.

Harry didn't look up at Malfoy, who leaned against the counter next to the sink. "Trust me, it only gets worse from here-on out." He said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "You want to help me?" asked, gesturing towards the dishes.

Malfoy scoffed. "No." He said, then quickly made his way out of the kitchen towards the living room.

In the living room, Dudley lay sprawled across the couch. His shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing his grotesquely protruding stomach. Malfoy fought the urge not to puke.

"Well, I'm off to work." Vernon said as he entered the living room straightening his tie. He leaned down and give Petunia a quick peck on the lips before turning for the door. If he had seen Malfoy standing in the doorway, he pretended he hadn't.

Potter appeared next to Malfoy, back straight. "The dishes are clean, Aunt Petunia." he said briskly, his voice almost robotic.

"Did you put the dishes away in the cabinet?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

"Did you wipe down the table?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

"And the counters?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

"And the stove?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

"Alright, go to your room unless I call for you."

So Harry made his way to his room, Malfoy in tow. Harry threw the door open, took a few steps, then collapsed on his bed.

Malfoy licked his lips. "Your life... kind of sucks." He said.

Harry didn't look up. His eyes were closed, and he appeared dead. "Yeah... I know."

The room was still a mess, but Harry didn't seem to notice. Malfoy felt another twinge of guilt for trying to make things harder on Potter. He already had it bad enough, didn't he?

Malfoy mentally shook the thoughts away. He refused to feel sorry for Potter. Besides, he still wanted to know what it would take to make him fight back.

When Harry finally sat back up, he instantly saw what Malfoy had done to his room. "M-Malfoy!" he cried angrily. "What the hell?"

Malfoy grinned sheepishly. "I...er... went through your stuff?" he said, as though that wasn't already obvious.

Potter gritted his teeth, but after a deep breath, relaxed. "Please, don't do that." He said in a monotone, turning to start cleaning up the mess that Malfoy had made.

_'Well, that didn't work.' _Malfoy thought. He would have to go to more drastic measures. Then another devilish idea popped into his head. He had a plan.


	5. Fighting in the Kitchen

It was simple, really. The only way to make Golden Boy royally pissed. Well, hopefully it would work. Since Potter didn't seem to mind a bit about when Draco insulted him, he would just have to go after the two people Harry cared about most: Mudblood and Weasel.

Currently, Potter was on his knees scrubbing the tiled kitchen floor while Draco sat at the table and watched. The house was quite, since Dudley was in his room playing video games and Petunia was taking a nap.

"Hey, Potter." Draco said suddenly.

Harry dropped the scrubber into the bucket of soapy water and turned towards Malfoy. "What?"

Malfoy smirked. "I was just wondering, ah... have Granger and Weaselby hooked up yet?"

Harry blinked once. Twice. "Er, what?" Harry asked incredulously.

Malfoy leaned back in his chair, smirk widening. "Well, it _is _bound to happen one day, you know? After all, people like then do tend to end up together." Then Malfoy leaned forward and widened his eyes in a fake look of wonder. "I wonder, where is that going to leave you? The third wheel, never getting to spend time with them because they'll be so wrapped up in each other."

At first, Harry's look was one of anger, then it turned to sadness. "I... well..." Harry couldn't seem to be able to take his eyes off the floor. Then suddenly his eyes flashed back to anger and he glanced up sharply at Malfoy. "You're only doing this to irritate me, aren't you?" He asked angrily.

Malfoy shrugged and leaned back. "Caught me." Then he smirked again. "But you can't deny that what I said was true."

Harry shook his head. "Ron and Hermione are just friends." He insisted.

"Oh, and are they going to stay that way? Snuggled up at Weasley's house, never once thinking of you? I assure you, Potter, they'll hook up in the end."

Harry's cheeks had turned a dark shade of red. "Shut your face, Malfoy!" He said angrily.

Malfoy grinned. Sweet victory. "Or what, Potter? Gonna go running to mum?" He grinned evilly. "Oh that's right. She's six feet under."

Harry lunged. Malfoy cried out as the chair toppled over. "Don't you dare talk about my mum!" Harry yelled, slamming his fists into Malfoy's chest and stomach.

Malfoy's eyes were wide, and Harry's weight on top of him made his hard to breath, but he managed to grab his wand and jam it under Potter's chin. "Stupefy." He said harshly.

Harry went limp and Malfoy shoved him off. As soon as Harry recovered, he jumped up and reached for his own wand.

"What on earth is going on down here?" A shrill, female voice trilled. Petunia ran into the kitchen and then stumbled back when she saw Harry and Malfoy's wands.

"Put those away!" She spat, looking at the windows with panic as though the neighbors would be at the windows with video cameras.

Glaring at each other, Harry and Draco slipped their wands into their back pockets.

Petunia stepped forward and righted the toppled chair. "There will be no fighting in this house." She said angrily. "Think of what influence you're setting for poor Dudley!" With a huff she turned away and went back upstairs.

All in all, it was quite a good day for Malfoy. He had reached his goal of pissing off Harry, and had even gotten the chance to Stupefy him.

With this kind of chaos today, what would tomorrow bring?

(A/N: A bit short, I know. I promise that the next chapter will be longer!)


	6. Falling off the Ladder

_A/N: I am soooooo very sorry about the lack of updates. But right now, I'm on a plot bunny high and I can't seem to type fast enough! I promise y'all an extra long chapter!_

-Harry Potter-

Despite that had happened the previous day, Harry wanted to start things right today. He rolled out of bed and quickly dressed. The birds were flitting around outside, twittering. Then suddenly they all started flying away, crying in alarm. Harry instantly knew why. He crossed the room and threw the window open. "Hedwig!" He said happily. The snowy owl hooted softly and nibbled on Harry's finger. With a flutter, she made it to her cage and looked with disdain at her empty water bowl. "Sorry, sorry." Harry said quickly. He quickly took it out and refilled it in the bathroom. "Here you go." Harry said as he put the bowl back in Hedwig's cage. She hooted her thanks and relieved her thirst.

The covers on the bed stirred. "Who's... oh. Morning Potter." Malfoy muttered.

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Your hair is horrible in the morning." Harry observed.

Malfoy muttered something under his breath and stumbled out of bed. "I'll be in the shower." The bedroom door shut behind him.

Hedwig hooted, drawing Harry's attention. "Yeah, I know. It's weird for me too." Hedwig tilted her head and chattered softly. "Don't worry, I won't let him hurt me. I don't think he really wants to hurt me. Just piss me off a bit" Harry looked thoughtfully at the bedroom door. Hedwig just shook her head and went back to her water.

A few minutes later, Draco reappeared, towel around his waist. Harry slipped past him to pee. He had taken his shower last night.

When Harry returned, Draco was dressed, and his blond hair was gelled. "Hey, you slicked your hair back." Harry said, a bit surprised.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "I only gel my hair when I don't feel like doing anything with it. It's just so much easier, two seconds." Harry nodded. He understood what it was like to have bad hair days. Really, he did.

Malfoy sighed and rolled his shoulders. "So, what are we doing today?" He asked.

Harry thought. "Make the Dursleys breakfast, do the dishes, clean the kitchen, weed the garden, take out the trash, and I think we have to clean out the garage." Harry answered. Malfoy groaned and rubbed his eyes.

"Is the whole summer gonna be like this?" Malfoy asked incredulously.

Harry shrugged. "This is basically my life. I'm used to it." Harry laid back on the bed, hands behind his head. "What would you be doing right now, if we were at your house?"

Malfoy made a noise in the back of his throat. "I would sleep in. Then, a house elf would come and bring me breakfast. After that, I would get up, shower, visit father and mother, then maybe go see Pansy and Blaise." Malfoy sighed. "I miss them."

Harry sat up. He looked at Malfoy with something like sympathy in his eyes. "I know how you feel." Harry was silent for a moment. "And... I think you might be right."

Malfoy looked him, a bit confused. "About what?"

"About... Ron and 'Mione. Them getting together. I really think that they will." Harry looked forlorn while saying it, and that spark of guilt struck Draco again. But he quickly squashed it. No guilt about Potter, no guilt about Potter...

"And Malfoy,"

"Draco."

"... what?"

"Call me Draco." Malfoy didn't look at Potter, but at the floor.

Harry smiled softly. "Then you can call me Harry."

Malfoy nodded. "We should probably head downstairs so you can start breakfast."

Harry nodded.

In the kitchen, as Harry made eggs and bacon, he asked Draco, "Can you cook?"

Draco shook his head. "I've always been cooked for." He answered. Harry grinned.

"Well, you're gonna start learning today. Here, take this spatula," Harry handed Draco the utensil "And scramble the eggs."

The blond looked down at the sizzling eggs with disdain. "Uh, how?" He asked. He felt tremendously stupid.

Harry, who was flipping the bacon, spared only a glance in Draco's direction. "Move them around, flip them, chop them up. Just make sure they don't stick to the pan." He answered.

Draco did as he was told, and as the eggs quickly solidified he felt like a real chef. "This is actually kinda cool." Draco exclaimed.

"Scrape the sides before it burns!" Harry said with a laugh. Draco's eyes went wide as he quickly did as ordered.

Harry was laughing and Draco found himself laughing as well. They just looked at each other and laughed until they were breathless and clutching their sides. "Oh, okay. Gotta get this off before it burns." Harry, still chuckling, turned off the burners and moved the pans to the back.

Draco wiped his eyes and leaned against the counter. "I have no idea what's so funny, but it is." Harry grinned at him and agreed.

Dudley waddled into the kitchen. "What's so funny?" He asked, eying them both with suspicion. Draco just chuckled and shook his head. Dudley wouldn't understand.

The obese boy rolled his eyes and sat himself down at the table. He was quickly joined by Vernon and Petunia. Harry served them breakfast without a word. Draco stood in the kitchen and ate his breakfast with Harry.

After Harry was done with the dishes (Draco refused to help with that, just the thought of cleaning up after muggles disgusted him) the two boys retreated to Harry's room.

"Look... I'm sorry about yesterday. Talking about Weasley and Granger like that." Draco did his best to look Harry in the eye, but Harry's piercing gaze was too much and he looked away.

"That's okay, Draco." Harry answered. The name sounded strange coming from Harry, but Draco couldn't say he didn't like it. He nodded.

There was a moment of stillness before there was a light tapping on the window. Hedwig, still in her cage resting, opened one eyes to see what was going on.

Harry crossed the room and opened the window. From the sill stepped a stately looking bird, one Draco instantly recognized. "It's father's owl." He gulped and, with fumbling fingers, untied the letter attached to the owl's leg.

"Draco," the blond boy read aloud. "I am severely disappointed with you for earning yourself this demeaning punishment. I have discussed things with Dumbledore, and he as agreed to shorten the punishment to a month in a half instead of three. We will discuss the consequences of your actions when your return home June 22nd."

The owl fluttered and perched on Harry's desk chair, looking keenly at Hedwig's water bowl. "Let hm drink, Hedwig." Harry said. With a ruffle of feathers, Hedwig moved aside and let the owl drink. She didn't look happy.

Draco sighed with relief. "The punishment has been shortened to only 45 days instead of 90. He grinned at Harry. "Awesome, right?"

Harry, after a moment, forced as smile. "Yeah, awesome." He found, with a start, that had actually been looking forward to spending the summer with Draco. Once you got pass his asshole attitude and superiority complex, and the fact that he was a Death Eater's son, he wasn't that bad.

Harry mentally groaned. That's just what he needed, getting friendly with Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy. Draco was his enemy! His rival! Not his friend! He should be glad that he would be able to spend half the summer with Ron and 'Mione!

Quickly, Harry located a quill and parchment and scrawled the news that he wouldn't be stuck with Malfoy for as long as he thought. He had to scratch out when he had accidentally written Draco instead of Malfoy. He didn't think his friends would be to happy that they were on first name terms.

He tied the letter and told Hedwig it was to be delivered to the Burrow. With a hoot and a nibble on Harry's ear, Hedwig swept past Lucius' owl and out the still open window.

Draco grinned happily, but it melted away when his eyes fell on Harry. He cleared his throat and shoved the letter into his back pocket. "So, uh, we have chores, right? Might as well get them over with."

Harry nodded and led Draco down the stairs and out back. Petunia was right behind them. "You, Malfoy was it?" He didn't wait for him to answer. "You'll be pulling weeds. Potter, you'll be cleaning the gutters. She handed each boy a pair of gloves. Malfoy looked out at the small garden and figured he could handle it.

Something landed on his head. "Here." Harry said. "You're gonna need it." It was a sun hat, made of straw and with a wide brim.

"Do you have another hat?" Draco asked, and Harry nodded. He quickly donned it and climbed the ladder to start on the gutters.

About an hour later, Draco had a large pile of what he assumed to be weeds next to him. The sun, already high in the sky, had quickly started burning his back. He could only imagine how Harry must feel, high up on that ladder.

Just as this thought entered Draco's mind, there was the terrible sound of metal shrieking against metal, then a heavy thud. Then a howl of pain.

Draco spun around and jogged across the hard. Harry lay on the ground, clutching his ankle.

"Harry! Are you okay?" Draco kneeled down next to him and gently pried Harry's hands away from his ankle. Draco pushed the pant leg up and grimaced. Nothing was broken, but Harry's ankle was obviously sprained pretty bad.

"What's going on out here? What happened?" Petunia towered over them. "Can you stand?" She drug Harry to his feet. He cried out as he tried to put his foot down.

Petunia tsked and handed the boy to Draco. Harry slung his arm over Draco's shoulder and together they hobbled inside. Petunia reappeared in the kitchen with an ace bandage. She quickly removed Harry's trainer and wrapped the bandage around Harry's ankle. "Is that too tight?" She asked. Harry shook his head, and Petunia nodded. "Here's some pain killers, I'll go get some ice."

While Petunia was in the kitchen, Malfoy leaned down and whispered, "Why is she being so nice?"

Harry chuckled. "Petunia was my mother's sister. Deep down, she cares about me. Or at least, she doesn't want me in too severe pain."

Petunia returned with a bag of ice wrapped in a rag. She pressed it down on Harry's ankle and he hissed at the cold touch. However, the pain quickly dulled and Harry held the ice on.

"Don't put any weight on it until it stops hurting." Petunia. "Malfoy, help him upstairs. He'll need to stay in bed."

Malfoy did so and when they finally reached Harry's room, he collapsed on the bed. "This sucks. A lot." Harry grouched. Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Suck it up, Harry. It's not that bad. Don't you know any healing spells?"

Harry grimaced. "Not for a sprained ankle, I don't."

Unfortunately, Malfoy didn't either. It looked like Harry was stuck with a sprained ankle.


	7. Stuck

Malfoy lay on his stomach on the floor, next to Harry's bed. Harry himself was resting on the bed, eyes closed. They had grabbed a few spare pillows from the linen closet to prop up Happy's ankle. Draco didn't know if Harry was sleeping, but he was quiet just the same.

What Draco was doing on the floor, exactly, was very irritating to him. He had pulled several of his textbooks out of his trunk and was riffling through them, trying to find something to alleviate Harry's pain at least. Harry had swallowed a few more of his red doesn't-really-heal-you pills, but Draco wasn't happy.

"You don't have to do this." Harry muttered suddenly.

Draco didn't look up from his book. "Yes I do, Potter." He snapped. "So shut up."

Harry was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "Why are you going to so much trouble?"

"Because I'll be damned if I have to all this labor alone." Malfoy half-snarled. Perfect execution. After all, he knew Harry would ask that question, and he had the answer at the ready. "Now shut up."

Harry obediently fell silent. Malfoy continued to flip the pages of his book, desperate for an answer. He was growing more agitated by the minute, but for a reason other than how elusive the cure for Harry's ankle was.

Having to do all the work around the house irritated Draco, and that was most of the reason he wanted Harry healed. But there was a small part of him that noticed how Harry winced in pain when he shifted his weight to a more comfortable position, saw how Harry struggled to even go the the bathroom and back (Draco had refused to help him with that trip). He figured, hey, if Harry was back on his feet, everyone was happy, right?

So Draco continued to search for the answer, and hours passed. Soon, both the boys could hear Vernon's car crunch over the gravel into the driveway. The front door swung open and closed. Dudley thundered down the stairs, eager to see his father. Vernon had a habit of bringing home sweets from the Employ Break Room. Harry, and now Draco, got none of course.

Petunia told Vernon what had happened to Harry earlier that day, and both boys could hear Vernon and Dudley laugh loudly at Harry's expense. Draco curled his hands into fists so tight, his knuckles turned white. He was utterly furious. Petunia's laughter floating up from downstairs sounded fake and forced. Draco relaxed slightly. Maybe Petunia would help, if only a little bit. It seemed she didn't hate Harry as much as Vernon and Dudley did. Well, marginally less, if at all.

Draco looked up at Harry and sighed. "I don't know what we're gonna do. It takes weeks for sprained ankles to heal." He said, a tinge of worry in his voice.

Harry shook his head and bit his lip. "I don't know. I can write Hermione, see if she knows the spell." Draco rolled his eyes and snorted.

"If you tell Mu- Granger that you sprained your ankle, she's going to send a howler and yell at me for it. If your injured, it _must _be _my _fault." He growled.

Harry noticed that Draco had caught himself on the M-word and had changed it at the last minute. He smiled in appreciation. But his frown quickly returned when he realized that Draco was right. If Hermione or Ron knew that he had been hurt, they would automatically jump to the conclusion that Draco was the culprit. Would they believe him if he told them that he had fallen because of his own uncordination? He doubted it. After all, if you could fly hundreds of feet in the air on a broomstick then you could stand on a ladder. Usually.

With a frustrated growl Harry pounded his fist into the mattress of the bed, which just bounced back up, leaving him more frustrated than before. "I don't know, Draco." He groaned. "Do you know Madame Pronfry's summer address?"

Draco shook his head. Harry sighed. "We could write Dumbledoor. But for something as insignificant as a sprained ankle..."

The two looked at each other with dispair in their eyes. "Then we're stuck." Draco said.

Harry nodded sadly. "We're stuck."

_A/N: Such a long wait, and for such a short chapter... I'm sorry! -hides-_


	8. Intimacy?

Petunia allowed Harry and Draco to remain their room the next day, knowing that Harry couldn't work, and that Harry needed Draco to help him. If Harry got out of bed at all, he would probably make his injury much worse. So, Draco and and Harry spent the day in their room, reading and occasionally chatting.

That evening, Harry was skimming through a Quiddich magazine, and Draco was sitting at Harry's desk, a potions book open before him. However, Harry noticed after a while that Draco's concentration had slipped, and that he seemed to be staring into space. Wondering what Draco could be thinking about, Harry snapped him out of his thoughts. "Hey, Draco."

Draco's eyes went wide, and he dropped his quill. "Wha-? Oh, yeah?" He said, flustered at being caught unfocused.

Harry grinned at Draco's appearance. "I was just wondering what you were daydreaming about." He laughed.

Twisting in his chair, Draco reached his arms up towards the ceiling in a massive stretch. Harry waited patiently as Draco yawned widely and smoothed his hair down. When he finally spoke, his voice was light. "I was just thinking about what life would have been like for me and you if you had accepted my friendship on the first day of school." He admitted, seemingly unfazed.

Harry cocked his head to the side. He bit his tongue and tried to imagine how his life would have turned out. First off, he'd probably have ended up in Slytherin. Crabbe and Goyle would be his cronies, and his friends would include Pansy and Blaize, instead of Ron and Hermione. The whole scenario made his head spin. "Thing would be... different." He said, the words sounding lame. "I mean... opposite. I'd be in Slytherin, with you, and you'd be..." He hesitated.

"I'd probably be your best friend." Draco stated simply, gazing nonchalantly out the window. Harry nodded, knowing that Draco was right. If Draco had ended up his best friend, then everything would have changed. Would Harry have been in Dumbledore's favor? Would he have ever become friends with Remus, Sirius, and Ron's family? Would he have chosen to fight for good? He shuddered at the last thought. He couldn't imagine himself fighting for Voldemort, no matter what the circumstances.

Draco's voice was quiet when he spoke. "Things would be different." He agreed softly.

They both gazed out the window, down Privet Drive. The sun was starting to sink on the horizon, casting long shadows. "Do you think we ever could be... friends?" Harry asked tentatively, catching Draco's eyes with his own.

Draco sighed, pondering. "Well... maybe." He said hesitantly. "I guess, if we both... really tried at being civil with each other. I couldn't see Weasley and Granger getting along with Blaize and Pansy, though." He admitted.

Harry raised his eyebrows and voiced his agreement. The idea of Harry's friends and Draco's friends, getting along, was ludicrous. They came from completely separate worlds.

Suddenly, Draco spoke again, changing the subject. "How's your ankle doing?" He asked, standing to move the ice pack he had placed there half an hour before.

"Better." Harry said. The pain had receded, leaving nothing more than a dull ache. He shifted his foot slightly atop the mound of pillows, and found that he was healing quite faster than was expected.

Draco was surprised when he examined Harry's ankle. "The swelling's nearly gone." He murmured, shocked.

Harry nodded. "It's weird- I've always healed unnaturally fast. I remember, once when I was a kid, Aunt Petunia made me get my hair cut. I hated it, and it grew back overnight." He grinned. "At this rate, I should be able to get back on my feet by tomorrow." He said happily.

Still amazed, Draco returned to his chair. "That's one hell of a power, Potter." He muttered, resorting back to using Harry's last name. Harry raised an eyebrow at it, but Draco didn't seem to notice. He was once again regarding Privet Drive. Harry sighed and let it drop. It had only been a day or so, it was going to take some time to get used to being so... intimate. Was using each others' first name such an intimate thing? To Harry, using Hermione's and Ron's was normal, everyday. But to call an enemy by their first name... that was intimate.

Then again, Harry and Draco had always held some level of intimacy. Who else could look at Harry in such a way, who else could spit curses and make his blood boil? Maybe, Dudley, but Harry's cousin was on a totally different level from Draco. Draco was stranger, unmapped territory. He used Harry's first name, let him sleep in his own bed, even thanked him for taking the blame when he had dropped the trunk. At the same time, he taunted Harry about his friends, and wrecked his room for the sole sake of pissing Harry off.

Figuring Draco out would take Harry some time, surely. There was no point in thinking about it too hard. The two boys were opposites, enemies. What was the point of trying to understand each other?

_'Do you think we ever could be friends?_' Harry thought back to his question. Draco hadn't said yes, but he hadn't said no either. Perhaps there was hope that the two could get along just enough to consider each other... friends.

Harry was snapped out his thoughts when Draco stood. "I'm going to venture downstairs and see if I can find anything to eat. Do you want anything?" He asked, glancing at Harry, who was still confined to his bed. Harry nodded, and Draco quietly went down the stairs, hoping no one was in the kitchen.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could hear the telly playing in the living room. He listened for a moment. He could hear Dudley and Vernon talking while the commercials played. Well, at least those two would leave him alone. They were the majority of his worries.

He strolled into the kitchen, trying to look nonchalant. He knew that he could be seen from the sitting area. When he walked in, Vernon acknowledged him from the corner of his eyes. Dudley outright stared at him, disgust and slight fear on his face. Petunia's eyes widened. She called out, "What do you want?" As though he were a burger or intruder, attempting to hurt someone.

Draco once again had to resit the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm just looking for something to eat. Harry and I haven't eaten all day." He said, glaring at the kitchen tiles. Petunia rose from the couch and stepped into the kitchen. In moments, she had put leftovers into the microwave and was reheating them.

The two were silent for a moment, before Draco worked up the courage to ask. "What is that." He gestured towards the microwave. He clearly remembered Vernon commanding him no to speak to Petunia, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Despite his hatred of muggles, their appliances and gadgets were rather interesting. Far inferior to wizards ways, but still interesting.

"It's called a microwave. Ask Harry about it, he'll tell you." She said quietly, glancing at Vernon to make sure that they weren't overheard. Draco felt a rush of gratitude. Of these filthy muggles, at least this one wasn't all bad. She clearly didn't like Malfoy, but she didn't seem to hate him either.

The microwave beeped, and Draco was shooed upstairs with a hot plate of food in his hands. Glancing down at the plate, he saw that it was chicken and some peas. Eh, better than nothing.

He returned upstairs and sat on the edge of Harry's bed. The two ate and chatted as the sun sunk lower and lower in the sky. The light coming in through the window gave everything in the room an orange-ish tint. Draco hesitantly asked about this 'microwave', and Harry laughed and explained what it was, and how it worked. It was clear Draco was trying hard to act like he wasn't interested. Harry didn't push it.

During a lull in the conversation, Draco's eyes roamed around the room, eventually landing on a photograph on Harry's bedside table. It was of two adults, clearly Harry's parents, holding each other close on a cold windy day. They glanced up at Draco and smiled tentatively. Harry's mother waved.

Draco picked up the photograph and looked at it closely. "These are your parents." He said simply, and Harry nodded.

"James and Lilly." He said, his voice slightly strained. "All I have left of them is old photographs and a few things passed down from my father." He said quietly, gazing at the picture along with Draco. In the photo, James kissed Lilly on the cheek, and Lilly laughed and let herself be wrapped in James' arms. The two were clearly in love when this photo was taken.

Draco spoke quietly. "You must miss them." He murmured, knowing that he was treading on dangerous ground. Enemies didn't usually discuss something as intimate as dead parents. But Harry seemed okay, despite the strain in his voice.

"I do. Every day." He sighed. He took the photo from Draco and put it back on the bedside table. "But there's no point in talking about what's already gone." He murmured.

Draco disagreed. "No. It is important. If you don't... then how are you going to remember them?" He asked. Harry looked up at him in wonder.

When Harry spoke again, his voice could hardly be heard. "I guess you're right, Draco." He said softly. Draco bit his tongue and looked away. Who was he to lecture Harry over something as tragic as his parents? He should have kept his mouth shut.

"Well, it's getting late. We should start to get ready for bed." Harry said. Draco was grateful that he had changed the subject, and nodded. "I need to take a shower. Could you help me get up?" Draco nodded and stood.

It took a moment, but it took only a bit of tugging and pushing to get Harry to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. Inventively, he stood on his good foot, then tried to shift some weight onto the bad one. He bit his lip and stopped. "It still hurts." He muttered. Draco nodded and let Harry sling his arm over his shoulder, and helped him hobble to the bathroom.

As the two boys were in he hallway, Dudley was coming up the stairs. He grinned cruelly as he reached the top. "Poofs." He insulted them darkly. Malfoy's face colored, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Sod off, pisshead." Harry growled, wishing that he had his wand in hand.

Dudley shrugged and went into his room. Harry could see him starting up his gaming system before shutting the door behind him.

"He really pisses me off." Malfoy muttered, leading Harry into the bathroom. He had helped Harry to the bathroom last night as well, and just like yesterday he let Harry sit on the counter beside the sink. Draco started up the shower while Harry slipped off his shirt. Since the weather was warming up, he had taken to wearing Dudley's old tee-shirts rather than his Hogwarts sweaters. Besides, he couldn't go out in his Hogwarts sweaters. It was easier to be wearing old band tee-shirts.

When Draco turned around, Harry was struggling to remove his jeans. Draco sighed and helped Harry slide off the counter, onto his good foot. Harry thanked him and slid his jeans down to the ground, so that he stood only in his boxers. Draco flushed slightly and looked away.

"You good from here?" He asked, and Harry nodded. He too was blushing slightly. Here he was, damn near naked with Draco Malfoy in the room. Luckily, Draco understood and left quickly. Harry locked the door behind him.

Under the spray of the water, Harry let himself fully relax for the first time that day. Today was the longest Harry had ever spent with Draco Malfoy, and it was a strange thing getting used to it. Spending all day with him, and then sleeping in the same bed with him at night! It was a very strange thing indeed.

Intimacy. It was like some horrible stereotype. Enemies that were far too interested in each other for it to be normal. To Harry, Draco Malfoy was like uncharted seas... something was lying hidden, just waiting to be discovered.

As Harry stepped out of the shower and dressed for bed, he thought to himself, _'There must be more to Malfoy than was meets the eye. But is it something good, or something I'm going to regret ever finding?'_

_((A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait! This chapter is semi-long, depending on what you're used to. It's long me for me, so... but anyway. More foe yay for all you fangirls out there! The story is developing... slowly. But don't get to comfortable in your seats yet! There might be some bumps down the road, and not to mention the mountain looming in the distance... Malfoy Manor! So hang on tight, stay with me, and send the review button some love! Thanks everybody, until next time!))  
_


	9. Makeover!

_A/N: I keep promising more frequent updates, and yet here I am, still updating as often as Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged! Well, at least the new chapter is here now, right? -ducks bricks being thrown at her-  
_

The next day, or to be more specific, the next morning, was a sunny Sunday in May. It was also Mother's Day. Finally, it was the day Draco Malfoy decided to spend all morning in the shower.

Harry, not happy at having to wait around to brush his teeth and get ready for his day, was fairly angry. He knew that Dudley's bathroom and the master bathroom in his Aunt and Uncle's room were off limits, so he had to wait. It wasn't until a little after eight that Draco finally emerged, clean, hair dried and styled, looking perfect. When he walked into Harry's room and saw Harry, he groaned. Harry's hair, after a night of sleep, was sticking up in random directions. He had bags under his eyes, and he generally looked horrible.

"You need to make yourself decent. Now." Draco commanded, pushing Harry into the bathroom. "I have places to be today, and I can't have you looking like crap."

Struggling, Harry protested adamantly. "Hey, my ankle is still sore!" Draco ignored his angry tone, and stopped him in front of the bathroom mirror. Harry glared dully at Draco's reflection, the real thing standing behind him.

Draco looked at Harry's reflection closely, 'hm'-ing and 'uh-huh'-ing. Finally, he stepped away from him and towards the door. "Take a shower, and dry your hair. We can't be late, so by Merlin's beard hurry up." And with that he shut the bathroom door behind. Harry glared it for a few moments, muttering curses. He sighed, and obediently started up the shower.

A few moments later, an furious bellow was heard. "DRACO MALFOY! YOU USED UP ALL THE HOT WATER!"

Draco's laughter was drowned out by Vernon's shout to keep the volume down, but Harry heard it just the same. "Bloody git." He growled as he washed in the cold water. He hopped out as quickly as he could, and quickly towel-dried his hair.

He leaned forward towards the mirror with his palms flat against the counter. He looked closely at his reflection. Harry had always been grateful that he didn't suffer from acne, unlike most kids at Hogwarts. He held his damp hair out of his eyes and looked at them closely. Bright green. His gaze wandered up to his scar. He traced it lightly with his index finger. It hadn't tingled or pained him in quite a while. Harry knew that Voldemort was on the rise, but things had been unusually quiet lately. Harry sighed. Here he was, playing proverbial tennis with Draco Malfoy, while Voldemort was off plotting the death of millions.

Harry's stomach clenched. He would never admit it, not even to Ron and 'Mione, but there were times when he honestly thought about just giving up. Who was he? A sixteen year old kid with a scar on his forehead. Voldemort? A hugely powerful wizard with hundreds of loyal followers that were ready to fight to the death for their master. Harry bit his lip and lowered his head. Now was not the time for these thoughts, not with Draco Malfoy here.

Speak of the Devil, and you'll step on his tail. "The water's been off for like ten minutes. Are you done yet?" Draco's voice could be heard from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Says the guy who spent thirty minutes in here." Harry muttered darkly. He gingerly pulled his sweatpants over his boxers and stepped out into the hallway. "So, Malfoy." Harry resorted back to Draco's last name, reflecting his surly mood. "What's the plan?"

Draco looked around before leaning closer to Harry and whispering. "I need you to pretend that your ankle still really hurts. We'll have to sneak out sometime before ten." He stepped back and looked Harry up and down. Harry looked back at Malfoy, dripping, shirtless, and hunched over. He rolled his eyes.

Malfoy put one hand on the front of Harry's shoulder and the other on his shoulder blade. "Stand up straight." He commanded, pushing Harry's body into a more upright position. Harry did as he was told, straightening his back. Malfoy stepped back and ran one of his hands through Harry's still damp hair. Already, it was starting to stick up in random directions as it dried. "What are we going to do with your hair?" Malfoy mused. "Also, do you have any nice button up shirts? Slacks? I have to make sure you look presentable for Mother."

Harry stepped back and snarled. "Damnit, Malfoy! I'm not your damn Barbie doll!" He stalked back towards his room, metaphorical storm clouds hanging over his head. His bad mood was only worsening.

Draco followed after him, confused as hell. "My damn what?" He asked, showing his ignorance on muggle playthings. "Potter, I have no idea what you're talking about." He was starting to grow angry. "What the hell crawled up your ass and died?"

Harry flopped down on his bed, eyes closed. "Go away, Malfoy." Anger equaled last names. Harry stored that information away for later use.

Malfoy ignored Harry's command and started to riffle though Harry's wardrobe. He had to search, but he did manage to find a nice shirt. No slacks, though. "Harry, what's your pant size?" Draco asked, trying to use Harry's first name to dissipate the sour mood hanging in the air.

Harry lifted his head slightly. "I don't know. I just wear hand-me-downs from Dudley." He answered. Draco nodded. No wonder Harry's pants had always been so baggy. He constantly had to use a belt to keep his pants up. Draco pictured Harry as one of those wannabes who sagged their pants, and he couldn't help but chuckle. It was a look that didn't suit anyone, especially goody-two-shoes Harry "Wonder Boy" Potter.

"Do you think you'd fit in some of my slacks?" Draco asked. Tossing Harry the dark blue button up shirt he had found.

Harry looked Draco up and down. "I'm not sure. You're so skinny." He answered. Draco rolled his eyes. Stating the obvious- great.

As Harry pulled on the shirt Draco tossed him, Draco searched through his truck. He finally emerged with a nice pair of black slacks. "See if these fit. They always were a little big on me."

Draco turned his back as Harry changed from his sweatpants to the slacks. They did seem to fit comfortably. Needless to say, Harry wasn't fat. He was just a bit more brawny than Malfoy, who had spent most of his life on some comfortable piece of furniture. Harry, on the other hand, hand spent his years running from Dudley and working out for Quiddich.

With Harry's permission, Draco turned back and looked Harry up and down. He was still shoeless, and they had to do something with his hair, but their improvement thus far had been monumental for tee-shirt and trainers Potter.

In the next half hour, Draco changed Harry from a scruffy, not-worth-mentioning teenager to a well dressed and at lest sophisticated LOOKING young man. Draco stood back and admired his work. He had decided to sacrifice some of his hair gel to keep Harry's hair looking neat, and Harry had managed to produce an old pair of loafers, which after a few cleaning spells looked almost- new.

Draco checked his watch and his eyebrows shot up. "Nine forty-five already? Bloody hell, we need to get a move on. Are you sure the muggles won't come looking for you?" He asked for the third time.

Harry's mood had improved only slightly. "I'm positive." He looked at Draco questioningly. "How are we going to meet your mother anyway?"

Draco smirked. "By portkey. My father got one of his... er... friends to set it up for us. It should be just a block away." He snapped his fingers. "We just have to be touching it at exactly ten-oh-three, and we'll be at the meeting place in a snap."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "And where will we be meeting your mother exactly? Not Malfoy Manor, I hope."

Malfoy shook his head. "No, no. We'll be spending the day at a coffee shop in a little wizard town just outside of London. It's a quaint place. My mother grew up there."

Harry nodded. "Alright, as long as I don't have to talk that much." Draco chuckled despite Harry's surly tone.

"Well, let's head off." It was quiet easy to sneak out. Harry and Draco trooped silently down the stairs and out the front door. The Dursleys didn't even look up. They had had years of practice ignoring the things Harry did.

So, Harry and Draco, dressed in business casual, made their way down Privat Drive. "The Portkey should look like a pillow. It'll look really old and beat up, so that Muggles don't go messing with it."

"I know what a Portkey looks like, Malfoy!" Harry snapped. Draco quickly found the dirty pillow in a lane between two houses and picked it up.

"Look, Potter!" He snarled. "This will be the only time I get to see my mother before you come to stay over at the Manor, so I want to assure her that I'm surviving. She bloody won't get that impression if we're at each others throats!"

Harry rolled his eyes as he put his left hand on the pillow. "Would you rather her see us calling each other 'Harry' and 'Draco'? Acting like good chums?"

Draco hesitated. "Okay, perhaps not. Maybe we should stick to 'Potter' and 'Malfoy', but just for today." In a rare act of tolerance, Draco stuck out his hand, the one that wasn't holding the pillow. "Truce?"

Harry looked down at Draco's outstretched hand, then back up to Draco's eyes. Harry could see Draco trying to act calm and assured, but beneath it Harry could see Draco's uncertanty. Harry knew that Draco remembered as well as he did the last time he had offered a handshake to Harry, and the rejection that followed. In shaking Draco's hand today, Harry wasn't just agreeing for a temporary truce. Harry was agreeing to something much bigger and grander than that.

With a sigh, Harry pushed aside the thoughts of the consequences to follow his actions. He reached up and, as genially as he could, shook Draco Malfoy's hand.

"Truce... Draco." Harry muttered, a small smile gracing his lips.

Draco smiled widely. "Alright then." He shook Harry's hand firmly, then they both let their hands drop. "Just remember. Last name terms, no buddy-buddy stuff. I can't be letting my mum know that I'm actually starting to become friends with Golden Boy Potter."

Harry's smile grew wider. "What would Mrs. Weasly say if she knew that I was actually enjoying my time with a prat like Ice Prince Malfoy?"

They both started to laugh. However, their laughter cut short as the Portkey started to activate. "Hold on tight!" Malfoy grinned. Harry did as he was told and, with that same feeling of being squeezed so tightly you couldn't breath, teleported with Draco to spend a day with Mrs. Malfoy.

"Merlin's pants, what have I gotten myself into?" Harry thought.


	10. Tea Time!

_A/N: As ALWAYS, I apologize for this chapter being so late. Fortunately, I spent a week with some close family, and no internet. With that massive distraction beyond my reach, I actually managed to write something! Be warned, Narcissa is extremely nice, and Lucius is a prat. Also, horrible child abuse. Cheers!_

Harry couldn't help but swing his head back and forth to try and take everything in. Besides Hogsmade, he had never been to an all-magic town. It had the bustle of a big city, but the appearance of a quaint village. All the buildings had a cottage-esque look to them, and the road was unpaved dirt. Venders pushed carts, yelling out about hot fresh Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes. Harry inhaled deeply though his nose as they passed another baker's cart- the smell was heavenly. Harry's bad mood lifted slightly.

"Harry?" The boy heard Draco call his name, and when he looked up he was surprised to see that he had fallen quite a bit behind.

He hurried to catch up. "Coming!" Harry called to Draco, trying to work his way through the crowd. He stepped on a few toes and got quite a lot of glares, but managed to make it to Draco quickly.

"It's just up ahead." Draco said eagerly, grabbing Harry's wrist and pulling him forward. Harry stumbled after him, trying not to fall. He really was a klutz sometimes.

Finally, the crowd cleared slightly and Harry could see that they were approaching their destination- a cute little shop, with a small patio out front with tables and umbrellas. Harry could see a display of pastries in the front window and his stomach rumbled. He never seemed to get enough food at the Dursley's- he swear they sometimes forgot to feed him, like he was an unwanted pet. Ugh.

Draco dropped Harry's wrist, and the two entered the small shop. The man assigned to greet guests turned pale when he saw the two step in. "Ah, are you, er, Mister Malfoy?" he asked, looking at Draco with slightly fearful eyes.

Harry watched, slightly stunned, as Draco's demeanor changed instantly. This morning, he had been relaxed and eager to see his mother. Now, in front of this stranger, he seemed like a different person. His back was straight, and he had a haughty look on his face. Now, he appeared to be the kind of person that walked into a room and silently demanded everyone's attention. It left Harry a bit bewildered.

"Yes." Draco said, his voice assertive. It carried a 'duh' tone to it, as though of _course _this man should know who he was. Harry looked at Draco with confusion on his face- he had truly thought that Draco had changed somewhat since they had gotten closer. Had Draco been pretending this whole time? Was the Draco he was seeing now the real Draco, or was the Draco he had come to know his true side? Harry shook his head. He would work this out later- he had bigger things to worry about.

The man said no more, but gestured to the two and led them past the tables set out into a back room, which looked a bit like an employ break room. There was a small table with chairs, and several flasks of pumpkin juice for those who were thirsty. In one of the chairs, looking anxious, was a woman Harry instantly knew was Narcissa Malfoy. He hung back slightly, not knowing if he was wanted here.

When Narcissa saw Draco, her face showed relief and happiness. She smiled and stood. "Draco." She said softly, and stepped forward to envelop her son in a hug. Draco returned the hug warmly, and they stood like that for a moment, simply happy to see each other.

After a few seconds, Narcissa pulled away and took each of Draco's hands in her own. "Oh darling, you look lovely." She said, looking him up and down and admiring his button down shirt and slacks. Draco smiled and squeezed his mother's hands.

"You look lovely, Mother." He said warmly, and Narcissa smiled again, somewhat sadly.

"Thank you, dear." She said softly. Finally, she looked past Draco and saw Harry. "Mr. Potter." She greeted him politely.

Harry shifted, a bit uncomfortable. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy."

She smiled and nodded to him, before inviting both boys to sit down. She poured them pumpkin juice and asked what had happened during their summer thus far. Draco started to recount some of their adventures, and Harry pitched in every once in a while when Draco's memory faltered.

Narcissa listened and smiled and nodded periodically, but she seemed distracted. She kept glancing towards the door, and plucking at her necklace nervously. Draco didn't seem to notice, and continued talking.

Harry was just starting to relax and was more comfortable helping Draco tell the stories of their summer, when suddenly the door burst open. In came Lucius Malfoy, robes billowing. Draco abruptly stopped talking and turned to see his father. He quickly pushed his chair back and stood to greet him.

"Father." Draco greeted quietly, nodding his head in respect. The warmth he had used to greet his mother was completely absent. Lucius regarded his son coldly.

"Draco." He said, and Harry could hear the disappointment laced in Lucius' voice. "I'd like to speak with you in private."

Draco nodded. "Of course, Father." He said in the same quiet tone. Lucius turned and opened the door, and Draco followed him out. The door shut with a snap, and Harry was alone with Narcissa.

Mrs. Malfoy wasted no time. Once the door was shut, she turned to Harry and asked. "Have you been enjoying your summer Mr. Potter?" She asked softly, and Harry saw something gentle and caring in her eyes- something he didn't expect to see. It caught him a bit off guard, and he found himself answering honestly, despite his vow to keep himself distant.

"Yeah, me and Draco are getting along okay." He noticed his slip-up almost instantly, and silently cursed. Damnit! He was supposed to call him Malfoy!

Narcissa's eyes crinkled up as she smiled. "You're on first name terms? You must be becoming fast friends, then."

Harry nodded uneasily. He wondered why Narcissa, supposed Death Eater, was being so nice to him. He didn't want to ask outright, it just didn't feel appropriate. However, he didn't get the chance, as Narcissa glanced towards the door again and worry flashed across her face. She didn't know how long she had until Draco and Lucius returned.

"Listen, Mr. Potter-"

"Harry's fine." He said suddenly, and Narcissa glanced up at him and flashed him a quick smile.

"Harry," She started again. She pulled out her purse and started to search through it. "I managed to contact Dumbledore and he told me that you stay with muggles during the summer."

The boy nodded, stricken that Dumbledore had revealed something so crucial. What if Voldemort discovered where he stayed over summer break? He would be completely defenseless if he were attacked!

Narcissa continued on. "So, I called a few friends and they helped me convert some Galleons into muggle money." She found what she had been searching her purse for, a rather large roll of 20 pound bills.

"Oh, no, Mrs. Malfoy, I can't accept that much money-" Harry said quickly, appalled that this woman was offering him money. However, Narcissa shook her head. She reached out and took Harry's wrist in a firm but gentle grip. With her other hand, she pressed the roll of bills into Harry's hand, and pushed Harry's fingers to curl around it.

"In _insist_, Harry." She said firmly. "I want you to make sure that you and Draco are comfortable. This is nothing at all." She smiled softly for a moment, but her face became serious once more. "However, please do _not_ tell Lucius."

Numbly, Harry nodded. He sighed and put the money in his pocket, making sure none was sticking out and that it was unnoticeable. He looked up at Narcissa, who was smiling at him. "Will you do me a favor, Harry?"

The boy looked a bit bewildered, but nodded.

"Take care of Draco for me." She said softly, covering one of his hands with her own. "I worry about him so much, but I know that he's okay with you."

Harry was at a loss for words for a moment, before he managed out an, "…Okay. Sure." and a nod. Narcissa smiled.

"Thank you, Harry." She said softly.

Not a moment later, Lucius returned, and Draco looked just slightly terrified. His wide eyes stayed glued to the floor, and he was clearly a nervous wreck. Three sides of Draco Harry had managed to see today, and he didn't know what to make of it.

"Narcissa, we're going." Lucius said. He turned and swept out of the room without another word.

Mrs. Malfoy took hold of her purse and stood quickly. "Goodbye, Draco dear." She hugged him quickly, then stepped back. She placed her hand under Draco's chin and tilted it up to face her. "I love you very much, sweetheart."

Draco seemed to relax a bit, and even managed a smile. "I love you too, Mother." He said, and he hugged her tightly. "I will miss you."

"Oh, and I will miss you, Draco." She said softly, hugging her son as tightly as he was hugging her. "Don't cast any big spells, and eat all your vegetables." She said sternly.

Draco chuckled and pulled away. Narcissa leaned down to kiss him on each cheek. "Be safe, Draco." She said, cupping his cheek. Draco nodded and smiled again.

"Of course, Mother." He glanced over his shoulder at the door, and his forehead creased as he turned back to his mother. "Father will be waiting for you."

Narcissa nodded. "Goodbye, sweetheart." She smiled at him softly before stepping past him and through the door.

"Goodbye, Mother." Draco said in a whisper. Narcissa turned and blew her son a kiss- and then she was gone.

Harry watched Narcissa go. It amazed him how much Draco and his mother cared for each other. He felt a pang- despite Molly Weasley being a wonderful mother figure, he knew that he would always be treated slightly differently from all her other children. He was the Chosen One, and not one of them. He thought of his mother, and he felt a painful squeeze in his heart- there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't miss her.

Draco shut the door behind Narcissa, and sunk into his chair next to Harry. "Everything alright?" Harry asked, not knowing what Lucius had said. He was clearly mad at Draco for this punishment, but how mad could he possibly be? It was just a couple weeks, after all.

The boy shook his head. "No. No everything is not alright." He croaked. He rested his head in his hands. "Father is furious with me, and when I get home I am going to be severely punished."

Harry looked puzzled. "Come on, Draco. What could be so bad?" He himself had taken a few bad punishments. No food for an extended period of time, beatings from Dudley, backbreaking chores, being locked in his room- he could handle it, though it was never very easy.

Draco swallowed, though his mouth was dry. "The cane, probably." He said, his voice hoarse. His hands were trembling, and he was even more pale than usual.

A crease appeared on Harry's forehead. "He's going to spank you?" Harry asked. That didn't seem so bad. He had been spanked a few times before when he was a child, though it was infrequent because the Durselys didn't like to touch him too much.

Draco shook his head. "It's not just a spanking- it's more than that. It starts with a spanking, then he just hits me everywhere." Draco bit his lip for a moment, and inhaled deeply. "He'll beat me with the cane, and he might do some things he's done in the past as punishment. He might give me small burns or make me throw up or choke me or pour freezing water over me or even perform the cruciatus curse if he's really mad and I've done something horrible."

Harry's eyebrows had shot up when Draco started rattling off the list of his father's favorite ways to make him suffer. He knew that children got the occasional spanking when they were in trouble, but this? This was outright child abuse! Harry felt a flash of anger, and he gritted his teeth. How dare Lucius treat Draco in such an awful way! Draco was his own son for chrissake!

"Draco, nothing you do should EVER warrant that kind of abuse!" Harry said angrily. "I can't believe your father would do something like that! Could he be a bigger twat?"

Of all the reactions Harry expected, anger wasn't one of them. "Oi, Potter! That's my father you're talking about!" Malfoy shouted.

For the second time that day, Harry and Draco began to argue.

"I don't care that he's your father, he shouldn't do those horrible things to you!"

"I'm his son; he has a right to punish me!"

"That's bullshit Malfoy, and you know it! A loving father wouldn't use the cruiatus curse on his only son!"

"Yes he would, he does it because he loves me! He wants me to learn!"

"Learn what, Malfoy? What could possibly be so fucking important to know that he has to literally torture you!"

"He has to teach me how to not be such a massive FUCK-UP!"

Halfway through their fight, Harry and Draco had stood up and were now close to blows, but the last thing Draco had said made Harry freeze.

Slowly, Harry relaxed, and eventually took a step back. "Do you believe that, Draco? Do you think you're a massive fuck-up?"

Draco's eyebrows scrunched together. He was thrown for a loop. "I…I don't think…"

"You're not a fuck-up, Draco." Harry said softly.

Draco's lip quivered. "Shut up, Potter." He said, trying to force annoyance into his voice. Harry didn't buy it.

"I mean it. You're not a fuck-up." Harry said again, this time putting a hand on Draco's shoulder. The other boy couldn't bring himself to shrug it off.

"It-It's just…ever since I was a child, that's the only way he's ever given me attention. There was never a pat on the back or a 'good job'. It was just punishment, punishment, punishment." At the last word, Draco's voice cracked, and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Harry didn't know what else to do, but pull Draco into a hug. After a moment, Draco stopped shaking and slowly returned the embrace.

"If anyone knows you're not a fuck-up Draco, it's me. Who else has spent the last half-dozen years in school with you? You hardly see your father at all, anyway."

Draco scrunched his fingers into the fabric on the back of Harry's shirt, as though trying to anchor himself to the boy. He gave a shaky laugh. "Thank Merlin for that."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle as well. After a sigh, he pulled away from the hug, and Draco did the same. After taking a moment to wipe the tears off his face, Draco gave Harry a watery smile and said softly, "If you ever tell anyone at Hogwarts about this, I will murder you in your sleep."

Harry grinned. "I won't tell a soul." He promised.

Draco nodded. "Good. Now let's get out of here, I'm starving."

So he and Harry left the shop and wandered through the busy streets. After a few minutes, Harry managed to convince Draco to get some pumpkin pasties from a vendor, and Harry could tell by the expression on Draco's face after his first bite that he didn't regret his decision.

'I wish Draco was always this happy.' Harry thought as he saw the small smile on Draco's face. But he quickly shook the thought away. What on earth could Harry do to make Draco happy?

_A/N: (yes, another one.) This came out to just under six pages, but I didn't hit 3000 words. I'm disappointed. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and if I'm not too busy with summer homework, I'll try and have another few up before school starts in late August. Please review, bye!_


	11. Every Fight Makes Them Stronger

It wasn't long before Harry and Draco had to return to their portkey, and by noon there were strolling back down Privat Drive towards the Dursely's home. Both boys had cheered up considerably, and they chatted and laughed as they made their way back. Harry didn't know when he would get the chance to tell Draco about the money his mother had given him, but he didn't think it was too important- after all, it was meant to be spent on Draco._ 'But what could Draco like that I could get him in a muggle shop? Candy? Soda?' _Harry couldn't help but snort. Knowing Draco's social status, he had probably never tried something as simple as soda. Harry mad a mental note to get Draco a cola soon.

Unfortunately, Harry and Draco's good moods evaporated almost instantly when they walked through the front door of number 4 Privat Drive. Vernon's roar of "POTTER!" seemed to shake the very windows in their frames. Draco and Harry exchanged bewildered and slightly panicked glances before Petunia strode to them, her heels click-clacking against the linoleum. They matched Harry's sudden increased heartbeat. "Harry, where were you? I had to make breakfast for them, but they-" Petunia's words were cut short as Vernon burst through the kitchen door, red-faced and breathing fast.

Petunia could do nothing but stumble out of the way as Vernon barreled towards Harry, fire in his eyes. He grabbed Harry by the front of his button-down shirt and pushed him back against the closed door, his arm pushing against Harry's chest, constricting his breathing. Harry gasped and struggled to escape, but he couldn't. Vernon's face was inches from Harry's, and he looked ready to combust. "Where the bloody hell were you when you were supposed to be making breakfast?" Vernon roared. "You think you can just leave whenever you want when you have responsibilities, a duty to this family-"

Vernon's words were quickly cut short when Draco jammed his wand under his chin, effectively silencing him. "Put. Him. Down." Draco growled, eyes narrowed. His teeth were clenched, and he looked ready to hex Harry's uncle into oblivion.

Slowly, his wide eyes on Draco's hand, Vernon lowered Harry to the ground and released his shirt. Harry took a deep breath, appreciating his returned ability to properly breathe. Draco kept his wand under Vernon's chin until Harry put his hand on Draco's shoulder and murmured, "I'm okay, Draco. Put your wand away."

After another second, Draco did so, tucking the wand back into the waistband of his trousers. Harry stepped forward and began to speak, head lowered.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Vernon." He said humbly. "Draco and I were just-"

Once again, Draco interrupted. "Don't you apologize to him, Harry!" He said angrily. "If you wanted to leave for a few hours, you should have every right to!" Draco turned to Vernon, who was still stunned, and said, "In case you forgot, it's Mother's Day, and I took Harry with me to visit my mother. I refuse to apologize to you for visiting my family, you selfish git!"

At this, Vernon began to speak. "Listen boy, if you want to leave, I have no problem with that, get out! However, Harry is supposed to be here, doing his chores! He has no reason to care about Mother's Day, his mum's de-"

This time, when Draco pulled his wand out, he was already forming the hex that would turn Vernon into the slimiest of bugs. "Ento-"

Harry stopped Draco in the nick of time. He clapped his hand over Draco's mouth and grabbed for his wand. Petunia screamed. Draco struggled out of Harry's grip and turned on him, pushing him into the wall angrily. "What the hell, Potter?" Draco yelled. "I'm trying to defend you here!"

"Do you want my uncle to kick you out?" Harry yelled back. "Put your wand away!" He glanced quickly from Draco to Vernon, who had stumbled back. He looked close to having a heart attack.

Draco snarled in frustration and stomped up the stairs, not bothering to look back. "Ungrateful rat, he deserved to be hexed, talking about his mum like that-" the door to Harry's bedroom slammed shut.

Harry looked at Petunia. "I'm sorry." He said hoarsely. She had covered for him when he was gone, and this was her reward. "I won't leave again, I-"

"Too right, you won't!" Vernon huffed, having found his voice again. "I'm putting that lock back on your door straightaway! I don't want to see your face until you have to leave!" He tromped away, muttering to himself, so that it was just Petunia and Harry in the front hallway.

Petunia smiled weakly at Harry, but it quickly disappeared. "You had best head upstairs; don't want to cause any more trouble."

Harry nodded, dread growing within him. He didn't want to be locked in his room, not again. He remembered how bored and listless he had been, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. He hated that feeling, of being trapped. With a sigh, he started up the stairs, resigned to his fate. Stuck in the same room as Draco Malfoy, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This would be difficult. Just when Harry thought they were becoming friends, something happened that had them, once again, at each other's throats. Would they ever be able to get past their differences and get along for more than a few minutes?

Harry opened the door to his room to find Draco laying on his bed, facing the window. "Your bird had a letter for you. I let her in." Draco mumbled, not looking at Harry.

With a soft "Thanks." Harry went to Hedwigs cage, where she was sipping from her water bowl, and rubbed her head softly. Hedwig pushed back into Harry's hand, cooed softly, and held out her leg for him. With fumbling fingers, Harry took the letter and sat down on the other side of the bed.

He unfurled the letter quickly, wondering who had written him. "It's from Hermione!" Harry said with surprise, recognizing the girl's loopy handwriting. Draco only grunted. Quickly scanning the letter, Harry began to read aloud.

_Dear Harry, _the letter began, _I hope you are well. I'm with Ron at the Burrow, and we're doing okay. Fred and George are up to their usual antics, and Bill is coming in tomorrow. Ginny says she misses you. Ron is teaching me to play Exploding Snap, and we've already scorched the table several times. Mrs. Weasley's cooking is excellent, and I really wish you could be here with us. We miss you louds, and hope to hear back from you soon. I know spending the summer with Malfoy is pretty awful, but you'll get through it. Just remember not to fight or use magic. All our love, Hermione and Ron._

Harry tried without much success to swallow the lump in his throat. He reread the letter again, but silently this time, admiring Hermione's graceful signature and Ron's hurried scribble. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit sadly. What he would give to be with them at the Burrow, away from Malfoy and the Dursleys. He could be with Ron and Mione now, playing Wizard Chess and having fun. He turned slightly to look at Draco, who was still lying on his side. With a sigh, Harry stooped to put the letter under the loose floorboard under his bed, where he had hidden most all of the letters he had received in the years previous. On the way back up, he bumped his head. With a hiss, Harry stood and rubbed the back of his head, reciting several cuss words in his head.

He glanced up to see Draco had turned to look at him. "You okay?" He asked. The anger seemed to have drained out of him, but Harry didn't think it was just because he bumped his head. With a quizzical look, Harry answered.

"Yeah, fine." He murmured. "How about you?"

Draco dropped his gaze, and his cheeks colored slightly. "I…" He paused. "I'm sorry." He muttered. It seemed to be difficult for him to even utter the words.

Now Harry was even more confused. Draco sat up and moved back, until his back was resting against the head of the bed. Harry sat down as well, near the foot of the bed, facing Draco. There was only about a foot of space between them. They were sitting cross-legged, and Draco's head hung. He didn't meet Harry's gaze. After a few moments, he began to explain.

"Do you remember…when we on the train, and you said, 'Just because everyone thinks I'm hero doesn't mean I am.'?"

Harry nodded. "Something like that, yeah." He said softly.

Draco glanced up at Harry. "Well…I mean, I didn't…believe you!" He gave a short, humorless laugh. "It never once occurred to me that you could ever be anything but…worshipped." He ran his hand through his hair. Harry didn't want to tell him that it looked rather nice all messed up, like he had just rolled out of bed. "But, then I get here, and you're treated like…dung! I mean, have you really put up with this your whole life?"

"Yes." Harry said simply. "I used to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs, and sometimes the Dursleys wouldn't feed me for a week. At school, I was bullied and…I didn't have many friends." He wasn't sure why he was telling Draco all this, but he didn't want to stop. "When I got the letter telling me I was a wizard, and that I was going to Hogwarts, I was…" He had a hard time finding the right word. "I mean, it was like I had an out. A way to escape the hell that I had lived for 10 years. I finally had a place to call home." This time, Harry lowered his head, remembering how he had felt when he first walked into Hogwarts. Until that moment, he had been expecting everything to be a dream, and that he would wake up with Dudley pounding down the stairs, and Petunia screeching for him to get up and make breakfast. "I don't know what I would have done if I had been made to stay here." Harry whispered. "I don't think I would have made it."

Harry was a bit surprised when Draco leaned forward and rested his forehead against Harry's softly, a comforting gesture. Harry didn't move away. "I'm sorry." Draco said softly, after a moment. Harry could hear the sincerity in Draco's voice, and once again felt a lump in his throat. He smiled weakly.

"Thank you, buy the way." Harry said quietly. "For sticking up for me downstairs."

Draco shrugged. "I had to. I mean…after what I said about your mum a few days ago in the kitchen…" Harry suddenly remembered Draco taunting him, saying that his mum was 'six feet under'. The memory left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he decided to move past it.

"It's alright. He deserved to be hexed anyway." Harry laughed lightly. "There have been moments that I had to restrain myself from jinxing them." He admitted. "They can really grate your nerves sometimes."

"No kidding." Draco muttered. He turned his head to look out the window, and Harry smiled as he regarded Draco's profile. His hair looked nearly white in the bright sun streaming in through the window, and illuminated his high cheekbones. His nose was long and straight, but his lips were full. He was quite handsom, Harry thought to himself. A pureblooded fink, but handsome. Harry grinned.

"What's so funny?" Draco asked when he turned back at saw Harry's grin. Harry just shook his head, not wanting to explain. Draco shrugged. "So, what are going to do for the rest of the day?"

The sinking feeling in Harry's stomach returned. "Well, I have some bad news. My uncle says he's going to put a lock on my door as punishment for going out."

Draco blinked. "So?" He asked.

"…So," Harry continued, wondering why he had to explain this. "We're going to be locked in here. Together. All day."

Draco rolled his eyes. "C'mon Harry, my dad works at the ministry! He's pulled some strings so that I can perform little bits of magic without being detected."

Harry scoffed. "Isn't that illegal?" he asked skeptically.

Draco laughed and shrugged. "Ish." He said casually. "Don't worry about a thing, Potter. I've got everything under control."

Harry grinned. "But when my uncle does put the lock on the door, act all bummed out. Let him think he's won."

With a groan, Draco agreed. "Whatever. I still wanna hex him."

"Later." Harry promised, and Draco grinned.

With the sun high in the sky, the boys were back on good terms. Although their friendship was developing slowly, and there were many bumps in the road, Harry couldn't help but think that things were improving. It seemed that every fight that they had only ended up making their bond stronger. He still had the wad of muggle money in his pocket, and a promise to himself to get Draco his very first soda. With a grin, he turned to Draco with a devilish gleam in his eye and said one thing.

"Draco, get ready. Tonight, we're sneaking out."

_A/N: I honestly don't think apologies are going to do anything at this point. All I can say is that life for me has been hectic lately, but I'm trying really hard to update (I updated Cure just a few days ago). Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with this story, but finals are fast approaching. Perhaps over Thanksgiving or Christmas break I'll be able to update again. Cross your fingers guys! I'll be working hard on ideas for the next chapter, I promise! I love you all, thank you for sticking with me! _


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